Tag Archives: Kid Friendly Recipes

“Talking about abstract things is important. Having big, wild conversations about concepts like art, music, time travel, and dreams makes it much easier when you’ll eventually need to talk about things like anger, sadness, pain, and love.” ―Tom Burns

In my past two posts I introduced you to my step-daughter Avalon and today I am introducing you to my step-son, Lukas. Luke is six and he is an extremely entertaining and intelligent little boy. He has his father’s witty personality and knack for storytelling. Every morning when I wake him up for school Lukas shares with me the dream he had the night before and it usually involves a dinosaur in some shape or form. Lukas loves to play with Legos and he is a natural artist. One of the first gifts that I gave the kids was a box filled with paper and art supplies and Luke has spent hours creating masterpieces. Without fail, Luke has the capacity to make me smile even when I am feeling sad or grumpy. It is a pleasure and honor to be able to share his sunshine with you.

Last weekend was quality Lukas and Aimster time (Aimster being Lukas’ latest term of endearment for me). Avalon had a friend over for an overnight on Friday and spent the night at her friend’s on Saturday and I figured it was the perfect time for Luke and I to spend some one-on-one time. On Friday we cuddled with our new kitty Trixie while we giggled, laughed, and Lukas told me silly stories.

My friend Kay shared a photo from UPAWS of a sweet little tortie named Suzy Q. I fell in love with her sweet face and unusual markings and the next day my husband John adopted her for us. We named her Trixie (my favorite books as a little girl were the Trixie Belden series). Trixie has quite a fiesty personality and we all love her so much.

Several weeks ago Lukas decided that he wanted his own smoothie blog post (especially since I posted two of Avalon’s recipes). “I want to be famous too,” he told me. While I explain to him that I am far from famous, Avalon and Lukas are always in awe of how many people I know when we go shopping or dine at a local restaurant. I have explained to them that when you are teacher you make many lasting friendships with many of your students and parents. Aside from being a teacher, I have held quite a few jobs in the area that involved working with the public and on occasion I do run into someone who knows me from my blog. Avalon, Lukas, and I talk a lot about being friendly and about how being a kind person can speak volumes about you to others. We also talk about the importance of attendance (both to school and work) and how you should not just show up but that working hard is important too.

I have told both Avalon and Lukas a story that one of my former students, Tori Lauren, shared during a 10th grade final exam. My students were instructed to write and present a This I Believe essay and Tori wrote about how her parents taught her from an early age that every person or opportunity could be a potential job interview. While going into the grocery store in her hometown her parents would remind her behave because, “she may want to seek employment there one day”. I will never forget Tori’s eloquent essay and the wisdom passed on from her parents. Whether this insight is literal or metaphorical, as human beings I do not think that we should overlook our networking potential and the first impressions that we make (regardless of our age). Tori and her siblings are hardworking 4-H kids and some of the best students that I have had in my teaching career. Now I am passing her wisdom on to my stepchildren. How cool is that? While many people profess that teachers make a difference — I firmly believe that students make a difference too! My students help shape my lessons and my teaching practice and I am thankful to be a life-long-learner.

While I do try to be a guide for my step children in teaching them valuable life lessons, sometimes we just like to act silly. We love to cuddle up and watch television together (an adjustment for me since I have never been much of a tv watcher – and the Disney channel is a completely new experience for me). Sometimes we read together when I tuck them in at night and I always love the Lukasisms that result in our time together. Some of my personal favorites are as follows:

Lukas: “Amy, when you were a carnivore did you like to eat Spinosaurus?” (I suppose forty-four years old to a six year old does sound ancient. 😉 )

When we were at Red Lobster:
Amy: “Lukas are you going to eat your shrimp too?”
Lukas: “Amy, I like mystery. When I twirl my pasta I like to be surprised if I get a shrimp!”

When he helped me gather eggs from the chicken coop and clean them and put them in the refrigerator:
Lukas: “You know what, Aimster? I was built for this!”
Amy: “Built for what, Buddy? Farm chores?”
Lukas: “Yes, I should probably go mow the lawn now.”

Last week while waiting to hop on the school bus:
Lukas: “Kiss me now! My kisses are magic.”
Amy: “Okay, Luke. You are too cute!” *smooch*
Lukas: “Aimster, I love your fluffy hair!” *my heart melts*
It’s true, he does. He loves to snuggle up to me and he loves to nestle his face into my hair. He tells me that I smell like ice cream. Considering how much this little boy loves ice cream, I take that as a giant compliment.

Speaking of ice cream and sweets, as a new step-mom with a bit of a healthy food obsession, I am still trying to find balance between what my kids want to eat and what I think that they should eat. John and the kids love their sweets and I am always trying to find ways to health up their meals. As I have shared in my last two posts, they are wild about Greek Gods Yogurt and I always try to keep fruit in the house. Lukas LOVES cantaloupe and we go through a couple of bunches of bananas a week. This fall Avalon has been enjoying pears and Lukas will devour grapes. I do still buy ice cream and we often have cake and cookies in the house — but John and I also try to find balance and encourage the kids to try different fruit and vegetables.

For the smoothie that we are sharing today, Lukas was passionate about including kiwi. He also thought it should have bananas and strawberries. We decided to add a bit of yogurt to the mix and he agreed to even add some spinach. (Adding greens is a huge step – last year at this time he would not have even considered drinking a smoothie – not to mention adding spinach to it).

If you have never had spinach in smoothies before – you have to try it. Spinach is naturally sweet and you (and your kids) will not even know it is in there. My best friend Heather had her daughter Mackenzie convinced for almost a year that the smoothies she made for her were green because of the kiwi she put in them. One day Mackenzie saw one of my posts on Facebook and said to Heather, “Mom, Amy puts spinach in her smoothies?” 😉

The following is how I made Luke’s smoothie. John and Lukas both thought it was too tart for them. Therefore, if I made it again for them I would add extra banana or raw honey (or even fruit juice) to sweeten it a bit. Lukas drank about half of his – which I consider a huge victory since it contained a lot of fruit and greens. Baby steps!

I bought Lukas two Jurassic Park vehicles this weekend for being such a good boy when he went shopping with me. He wanted them to part of his blog post.

LUKE’S KIWISAURUS GREEN SMOOTHIE

*2 medium frozen bananas *3 peeled kiwi *1/2 cup of frozen strawberries *1 cup of Greek Gods Honey Strawberry Yogurt *2 cups of spinach *1 cup of water or fruit juice (more or less depending how thick you want your smoothie…I made Luke’s with water)*Optional – sprig of fresh mint. (Even though it’s November I was surprised to find mint still growing in our herb garden. It has been a very mild fall in Upper Michigan)
*Top with whipped cream (This was a MUST HAVE for Luke’s smoothie)*This recipe made two green smoothies

It fills me with joy to know that I am able to positively influence my step kids and encourage them to eat more fruit and vegetables. They both had a spectacular first marking period in school and we are working hard to make sure that the rest of school year is the same.

Avalon’s 4th grade school picture.

Lukas’ 1st grade school picture.

I bought Lukas and Avalon rewards for their success in school this year. Avalon chose a journal and we picked out an art book for Lukas.

Luke’s teachers all comment on what a kind and thoughtful little boy he is and that he has a heart of gold. We received an email from his teacher that he was observed giving his snack that we packed him to a new boy in their class because he didn’t have one. John, who is a police officer, always tries to teach the kids to be kind to others. Obviously, his lessons do not go unnoticed and we could not be prouder.

I hope that you are having a wonderful autumn and stay tuned because my next post will be a new Mason jar salad recipe. It is John’s favorite salad and I have been meaning to share it for months. Thank you for reading and I would love to hear about some of your favorite kid friendly healthy recipes. As a new mom, I am finding that truly does take a village. Lukas was happy to share his smoothie recipe with you – we hope that you enjoy it!

Trixie and her rescuer, John. He might not always admit it, but he’s a softie. John will probably be Trixie’s favorite. She will remember who saved her. So will I. ❤

“Eating habits are learned behaviors; they’re not intuitive. So what your children learn to eat at home early in life sticks with them well into adulthood.” -Ann Cooper and Lisa M. Holmes
The trees in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan have taken on an ethereal glow and the school year has kicked into gear. It was Homecoming last week, at the district in which I teach, and my step kids Avalon and Lukas dressed up each day for Spirit Week. They were excited that their Grandpa Waldo came to visit and we went to the football game. Since I am the co-adviser for the junior class, John and I chaperoned the Homecoming dance. While I thoroughly enjoyed my summer holiday, it feels great to be back to my work routine. I have an incredible group of 9th and 8th grade students this year and I am also working on an Education Specialist degree at Northern Michigan University (the program is a precursor to a Doctorate in Education – EdD). I am fortunate that my life is rich with opportunities and my heart is full of love and thankfulness.

Some people drive miles to take a color tour and we just have to venture into the many acres that make up our backyard.

I took Avalon and Lukas to Target for new shirts for Homecoming. The theme for the day was “Represent Your Favorite Sport” and they decided to support the Detroit Lions.

The kids have made a remarkable transition to a new school. They both adore their teachers, are thriving with an early bedtime (8-8:30), have made new friends, and are progressing well in their studies. Avalon was excited about having her first locker – and I confess that I may have gone a little overboard on buying her locker swag – but it was worth it to see how excited she was. I know that my mom would have done this for me when I was a little girl too – if they would have had cool locker accessories back then. 😉

I think Avalon squealed all the way home after I bought her locker decorations!

Check out the size of Avalon’s locker!

We love to make apple crisp for brunch with apples from our orchard.

John and I work hard to create structure and we focus on quality family time. We try to prepare homemade meals (with many ingredients that we raise ourselves on our hobby farm) and we eat around the table as a family. This time is precious in the stories and laughs we share and in the values and manners we are trying to instill in Avalon and Lukas. Avalon often goes grocery shopping with me and enjoys the time we share in the kitchen. As a parent I feel it is my responsibility to teach her how to take care of herself, inside and out, and as Lukas gets older I hope he takes interest in learning his way around the kitchen as well.

John and I have made several batches of homemade apple sauce this fall. We had an abundance of apples this year.

After attending the elementary school Open House, Avalon decided that she wants to earn a perfect attendance award. Therefore, I have been talking to the kids about staying healthy during the cold and flu season. Since we live in Michigan, winters are fierce and I believe in fortifying one’s immune system with whole foods, plenty of fruit and vegetables, and water. I admit that getting my family on board with healthy food has been a bit of a struggle but we have had many conversations about the difference between a snack (small portion of a healthy food) and a treat (sweets/dessert). I think that the key is balance and moderation – both of which I am working on encouraging in the coming months.

Avalon relaxing on our front porch in the beautiful dress that her Granny Barb made for her.

It was a victory last week when Avalon requested raw veggies for her school snack. Granted, it may have been short lived – and the vegetables may have found their way into my lunch bag – but I believe firmly that baby steps build up to big things.

Lukas and Avalon finally surrendered to the green smoothie and they LOVE them.

The kids were with us all but three weeks this summer and we tried to take full advantage of the beautiful weather by swimming and playing outside. We dined al fresco as much as possible and I tried to make breakfasts special. Since we have free range hens, farm fresh fresh eggs are never in short supply so we often add them to our plates. (We also pay Avalon’s incredible math tutor LeeLa Heinzel with fresh eggs…how lucky we are to have her brilliant help.)

Our sweet old dog, Ollie decided a dip in the pool would be refreshing.

The best of summer: lazy dogs and sheets on the line.

Avalon and I talk about places we would love to travel. While adventures in Italy and Greece are at the top of my list, Avalon often dreams about France. She read a book this spring about a little girl who travels to France and the beautiful, romantic description went straight to her heart. Therefore, I thought that crepes would be the perfect dish for Avalon to create and help her explore her culinary skills – and I was correct. The final product was marvelous and fit for a princess (and prince).

Avalon wanted to include her pretty tea set into this post. John bought it for her when he was working in Texas for the Air Force. What a precious keepsake for her to cherish.

Melt butter and add sugar along with a sprinkle of nutmeg and cinnamon (depending on how many pecans you are using. I usually make a large batch of pecans (4-5 cups) so I add a couple teaspoons of cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg). Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the pecans and stir to coat.

Spread the pecans out on a tinfoil lined cookie sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Remove and cool. The nuts are indulgent and delicious and a few go a long way.

Caramelized pecans are a favorite of Avalon and John. I make huge batches of them and have a difficult time keeping them in the house.

One of the beautiful things about crepes is that they are versatile. They can be a main course or serve as dessert and can be made sweet or savory (it is easy to make both to satisfy different tastes). One morning this summer Avalon and I divided the batter into two portions. We added fresh snipped chives from our garden to one batch and filled with ham and cheese for Lukas. The other batch we added cinnamon and vanilla extract and filled with fruit and drizzled with syrup for her. Lukas tends to be a purist when it comes to food and does not like extravagant flavors or condiments (not even ketchup) and Avalon is a little more experimental with flavors (and I think ketchup is her favorite food). As time progresses I hope that they both continue to try new things and I find that when they help prepare a meal – they are better eaters.

Princess Avalon

This recipe is Lukas approved!

I hope that you have access to farm fresh eggs like we do. If you do not raise your own hens, make sure that you support a local farmer. I never thought that I would have chickens, but as my friends and family would tell you, I have grown quite fond of them. They are sweet, gentle, and love to roam all over the farm. They have been feasting on the sweet apples that fall from our orchard and they wildly chase me to the compost pile to see what treats are in store for them.

Our hens love to feast on the fallen apples.

Thank you to my friends for following my food journey and for the nuggets of advice and support that you give me. Your congratulations on our marriage and well wishes in my new role of being a mom and owning a hobby farm mean so much. My hope is that future posts will share gardening and canning tips as John and I follow our dream of growing more of our own food. It is exciting to have the opportunity to live in such a gorgeous place with plenty of land to plant, dream, and satisfy my passion for photography. I promise to keep sharing. Make sure you check out my Facebook page and Instagram (links on the upper right side of the page).

What delicious dishes are you preparing in your kitchen? How do you encourage your family to eat healthy? Have you tried any of my recipes? Avalon and I would love to hear from you!

John has been working on quite a few projects around the house. My job has been to add some feminine touches to the cabin since it’s quite masculine. Thankfully, he loves the splash of bright colors that is inspired by my Fiestaware collection. He agreed that the house needed a woman’s touch.

Avalon curled her hair for the photo shoot and I told her it looked a little “crazy” but she insisted on wearing it this way. I love that she knows what she likes and has a strong sense of her own style. I think she will grow up to be a determined and creative young woman. I am so proud of her and thankful that I get to be such an important part of her life!

“Strong women. May we know them. May we raise them. May we be them.”~Unknown

It is my pleasure to introduce you to a brand new blogger who is very special to me. Her name is Avalon, and as of June 30, 2015, she is my step-daughter. Avalon is a beautiful little girl (she looks just like her mama Kimberly).

Meet Miss Avalon

Not only is Avalon a beauty – she is intelligent, graceful, a great singer, tech savvy, loves to read, and she has a bubbly personality. Avalon enjoys helping me out in the kitchen and it is my pleasure to teach her how to cook. At an early age my mom taught me the health benefits of eating fruit and vegetables and lovingly showed me how to create a feast from a variety of ingredients. Because of this, I am resourceful and I have a passion for cooking fresh food from whole foods. I want to pass this healthy lifestyle down to Avalon and her little brother Lukas (who also is quite handy in the kitchen). I love our family dinners and I am always encouraging the kids to try new foods (even though if they are reluctant at times – baby steps). It is hard enough having to acclimate to a step-mother. Add into the equation that she is a vegetarian AND a teacher and imagine what a readjustment that is!

I do apologize for being away from the blog for so long, but as you can see, I have been engaged in a great deal of lifestyle changes.

For my plant-based friends, you may see a few changes/options in some of my recipes.

When Lukas and Avalon’s dad John and I fell in love we knew we were meant to be. Yet, we also knew we would have some differences in opinion on food.

While I try to maintain a plant-based diet, John is a hunter and hobby farmer who raises free range chickens and other livestock. While I still do not eat meat, I have been eating free-range eggs and I do eat a small amount of dairy (homemade pizza is a staple in our house nearly once a week). I promised John that I would not try to convert him, Avalon, and Lukas to vegetarians, but I would encourage them all to incorporate more fruit and vegetables into their diet. I love that John does not want to have to rely on factory farmed meat and it is our long-term goal to produce as much of our own food as possible. Next year we are hoping to acquire a hoop house to help extend our rather short growing season in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

I can get lost in the beauty of our home and land.

I put the yogurt containers to good use this spring when I started our squash and tomato seedlings.

When I started spending time with Avalon, Lukas, and John – one of the first things that I learned was that they all have a sweet tooth. So I tried to find healthier desserts that would satisfy both their craving for something sweet and my obsession with healthy food.

Many years ago when I was cutting out artificial sweeteners, I discovered Greek Gods Yogurt. If you eat dairy and you have not tried this brand – you are missing out. John and the kids instantly agreed that it was better than ice cream and now it is common for them to go through three containers a week. I cut up fruit add a dollop of yogurt and sometimes sprinkle on granola and whipped cream. Avalon’s summertime favorite is watermelon and strawberries with honey vanilla yogurt. Though, for her smoothie recipe we tried the black cherry flavor and Avalon said it may be her new favorite. Right now she is in Virginia visiting her mom and she asked me to stock up on it for when she gets home. I find this brand in all of our local supermarkets, but Target seems to have the best price (it’s often on Cartwheel for 20% off).

The recipe for Avalon’s smoothie made two large glasses, so if you want an individual serving, you may want to reduce it in half. I have to say that Lukas is not a smoothie fan and he drank all of his. It is that wonderful!

Avalon’s Red Berry Smoothie

*1 frozen banana (I highly recommend frozen bananas for smoothies since they give it a creamy and cold texture. I buy extra bananas each week and when they get ripe I peel and toss into a bag in the freezer so we always have them on hand)
*1/2 cup of Greek Gods Black Cherry Yogurt (You could substitute a plant-based coconut, soy, or almond yogurt)*1/2 cup of frozen cherries(fresh if you have them on hand)*1/2 cup of watermelon (watermelon freezes well but we used fresh)*1/2 cup of strawberries (we used fresh that we picked at a local farm)*1/2 cup of raspberries (fresh or frozen)*1/2 cup to 1 cup of water (depending on how thick you want it and if you are using frozen fruit. You could eliminate the honey and use fruit juice instead.)*Tablespoon of honey (you could use your favorite sweetener if you do not eat honey)*Optional ~ fresh mint for garnish (I grew chocolate mint and the kids LOVED it. Avalon wanted John to try a leaf when he got home from work. The mint would also be great blended into the smoothie.)

Blend well, serve, and enjoy!

Avalon and Lukas enjoyed their smoothie for breakfast but it would make a great dessert as well. It is a great way to sneak more vitamin and mineral rich fruit into your kids’ diet. Plus, it will help them stay hydrated in the heat.

As always, it is my goal to keep sharing my healthy recipes with you! Thank you for the continued support and the messages and comments that you have sent during my absence. I am excited to announce the news of my marriage and I cannot wait to share more glimpses of our life on the farm. It is gorgeous here and it feels exactly where I am meant to be.

Since I do not have a sweet tooth and try to stay away from sugar, I have not shared many dessert recipes on Produce with Amy. However, now that I have a family who loves sweets I will be striving to find healthy versions that they enjoy. John and the kids bought me a beautiful Kitchenaid mixer for my birthday so I do not have a proper excuse not to bake.

My sexy new Kitchenaid mixer. I have wanted one FOREVER! Thank you, John.

In addition, we have a garden full of zucchini and an apple orchard laden with fruit – so we will not have a shortage of healthy ingredients this fall. Plus, with a beautiful new blogger in the house – and a brand new Mac Book Pro – Avalon and I may have to try our hand at video blogging!

Make sure your scroll through the end to check out more photos.

Please feel free to share Avalon’s smoothie recipe and please leave a comment and stop by my Facebook page to let her know what you think! Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and the other social media tabs at the right of the page. Thank you for joining me on the journey to eat more fruit and vegetables!

Avalon Trying the Chocolate Mint from our Herb Garden

Lukas is Sold on the Smoothie

Avalon says that you have to try it!

We picked strawberries in Trenary the day after our wedding!

Healthy and Happy Kids!

I love that John’s shift this summer allows us to eat as a family. We try to eat Al Fresco when possible.